Car-door



(No Model.)

J. W. KENNEDY.

OAR DOOR.

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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JOHN WESLEY KENNEDY, OF SOUTH CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,507, dated February 22, 1898. Application filed May 5, 1897. Serial No. 636,216. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WESLEY KEN- NEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in cars.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of freight-cars, more especially the sliding doors thereof, and to prevent a door from accidentally falling from a car and injuring persons and property.

A further object of the invention is to prevent a door when unlocked from sliding back and forth while cars are being shifted and to enable sliding car-doors to be held tightly against a car when they are closed and to provide means for freeing them and permitting them to swing outward slightly, so that they will slide freely and easily on the trackbars in opening.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a de tail sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View of one of the lower shoes of the sliding door. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch for holding the sliding door open. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the sliding bolt of the same. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the other member of the device for holding the door open. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the upper member of the shoe. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the lower member of the shoe.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates a sliding car-door suspended by hangers 2 from an upper rail or track-bar 3 of a car 4, and the rail or track-bar 3, which is inverted-L-shaped in cross-section, is secured at its lower edge to a horizontal strip or bar 5 and has its upper horizontal portion or flange extending inward over the bar 5 and forming a broad tread for a roller 6 of the hanger 2. The hanger 2, which has its lower portion formed into an attachmentplate, is provided at its top with a substantially U-shaped bend 7, forming a housing for the roller 6 and slightly inwardly offset from the vertical plane of the attachment plate. The inner side of the bend 7 is extended downward and bent under the tread of the rail, forming a hook-shaped stop 8, which effectually prevents the hanger from being lifted off the rail. The attachmentplate is preferably provided with three arms, as shown, perforated to receive the attachment-bolts and having their terminals bent inward and embedded in the car-door for supporting the attachment-plates and to take the strain off the bolts.

The bottom of the sliding door 1 is connected with a bottom rail 9 by shoes 10, composed of an upper section or member 11 and a lower section or member 12, the upper section or member being connected with the door 1 and the, lower section or member being mounted on the bottom rail and slidingly con nected with the other section or member, for a purpose hereinafter described. The upper section or member 11, which has an attachment-plate similar to the hangers, is provided with an opening 13 and has a lip 14 extending outward horizontally at the bottom of the opening 13. It is also provided with an inwardly or rearwardly disposed housing or casin g 15,composed of substantially L-shaped flanges and arranged in a recess of the lower edge of the door 1. The casing or housing 15, which receives the lower member or section of the shoe, is provided at opposite sides with ways 16, formed by bending the lower edges of the sides of the casing or housing and extending them inward and upward,as shown.

The lower section or member, which is slidingly connected with the upper section or member, is provided at its inner end with a depending L- shaped engaging portion 17, which hooks under the horizontal flange of the bottom rail, and it is provided adjacent to the hook-shaped portion 17 with depending side flanges 18, engaging the said ways 16. The front portion of the lower section or member is narrower than the rear portion and extends through the opening 13 and is proof the vertical casing or housing 25.

vided with depending side flanges 20, which rest upon the upper face of the horizontal lip 14. The hook-shaped portion 17 engages the inner side of .the lower rail, and the outer side of the latter is engaged by a pair of depending arms 21, extending from the rear ends of the front flanges 20. The lower portion of the section or member 11 of the shoe is provided with vertical slots 22 to receive the arms 21, and the slots 22, which'extend downward from the horizontal lip, may be slightly converged, if desired.

The car-door and the upper member or section of the shoe are adapted to slide and move outward and inward on the lower section or member, which is interlocked with the bottom rail to free the door when it is unlocked and to permit it to slide freely and prevent it from binding on a nail or similar obstruction, which might fall upon the bottom rail or get behind the door. The sliding movement is limited by a transverse fastening device 23, preferably consisting of a rivet passing through perforations of the front flanges 20 of the bottom section or member and having heads arranged to engage the outer face of the upper section or member.

When the door is closed, it is held tightly against outward movement by a sliding key 24, mounted in a vertical housing 25 of the upper section or member 11 and arranged to engage an opening 26 of the lower section or member. The key 24 is beveled at its lower end to enable it to be readily forced downward into engagement with the lower section or member which when the parts are locked is engaged by the key 24 at a point above the bevel. The upper portion of the key 24 is provided with a longitudinal slot 27, through which passes a fastening device 28, consisting of a rivet and arranged in perforations The lower portion of the upper section or member 11 is provided with a central vertical slot 29, which receives the lower beveled end of the key 24 when the parts are locked.

The nuts of the bolts employed for securing the top and bottom rails are located on the inner face of the side of the car and are engaged by a plate 30, provided with a longitudinal slot 31 to receive the shank of the bolt and adapted to engage the nut and prevent the same from turning.

The sliding movement of the door 1 is limited by upper and lower stops 33 and 34, the upper stop being of the ordinary construction, with the exception that the outer end thereof is extended inward and embedded in the woodwork of the car for bracing the bolts. The lower stop, which is attached to the car similar to the upper one, is provided with a lip 35 and a rectangular casing 36 and constitutes one member of a locking device for holding the door open, so that it cannot slide back and forth while a car is being shifted. The other section or member of this locking device consists of a plate 37, secured to the vided with a slot 40, which is engaged by a vertically-disposed sliding bolt 41, mounted in the casing 36 of the lower stop and having its lower end beveled at the side toward the door. The casing 36 is open at the end of the stop, and when the beveled lug 39 enters it the sliding bolt 41 is lifted automatically and drops into engagement with the slot 40. The bolt is provided between its ends with an enlargement or stop 42, located within the casing and limiting the movement of the bolt, and the latter is slotted and receives a fastenin g device which is mounted 011 the casing of the stop 34. The lip 35 of the lower stop is extended and bent outward slightly in order to guide the door and the lug and to direct the latter into the casing 36. The plate 37, which is bolted to the door, has its inner end bent inward and embedded in the same.

It will be seen that the construction is simple and comparatively inexpensive, that it is strong and durable, and that it effectively mounts the doors on a car and prevents them from falling oif accidentally. It will also be clear that the doors are permitted to slide freely in opening, that they cannot become clogged, and that they are held firmly pressed against the car when closed.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, of an L-shaped upper rail, a sliding door, and a hanger secured to the door and provided with a substantially U-shaped bend located above the rail and having its inner side bent downward and engaging under the same, and a roller mounted in the bend and arranged on the tread of the rail, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car,of a lower rail provided with an inwardly-extending horizontal flange, a door slidingly mounted on the car, and a shoe comprising an upper portion secured to the door, and a lower portion provided with an inner depending hook engaging under the horizontal flange of the rail, whereby the lower portion of the shoe is interlocked with the rail said upper portion being movably connected with the lower portion to permit the door to swing outward at the bottom, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, of a bottom rail mounted thereon and provided with an inwardly-extending horizontal flange, a sliding door, a shoe comprising an upper member provided with an exterior horizontal lip 14, and having an inwardly-extending casing with ways, and a lower member provided with an inner depending hook 17 to engage under the horizontal flange of the rail and having front and rear side flanges, the front ones being provided with depending arms 21 and means for locking the upper member against outward movement, substantially as described.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, of a bottom rail mounted thereon, a sliding door, a shoe comprising an upper member provided with substantially vertical slots and having a casing with ways, and a lower member provided with front and rear side flanges, the rear ones being interlocked with said ways and the front ones being provided with depending arms 21, disposed opposite said slots, and a transverse fastening device mounted 011 the front flanges and arranged to engage the upper member to limit the sliding movement of the same, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, of a bottom rail mounted thereon, and provided with an inwardly-extending horizontal flange, a sliding door, a shoe comprising an upper member having an opening, provided withan exterior horizontal lip and having an inwardly-eX- tending casing with ways, and a lower member provided with an inner hook-shaped portion to engage under the horizontal flange of the bottom rail and having front and rear side flanges, the rear ones being interlocked with the said ways and the front ones fitting in the said opening and provided at their inner terminals with depending arms, and a sliding key mounted on the upper member and engaging the lower member, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, of a lower rail provided with an inwardly-extending horizontal flange, a door slidingly mounted on the car, a shoe comprising an upper portion or member mounted on the door and provided with a vertical housing, and a lower member pro vided with a depending hook to engage the horizontal flange, slidingly connected with the upper member and extending through an opening thereof, a transverse fastening device 23 forming a stop and limiting the sliding movement of the members on each other,

a slotted key arranged in the vertical casing and adapted to engage the lower member, and a fastening device mounted on the casing, passing through the slot of the key and limiting the movement of the latter, substantially a projecting lip 35 to engage the door, and

having a casing at the inner end of the lip, said casing being provided at its front with an opening and having a vertical bolt-opening,

a vertically-movable bolt mounted in the boltopening of the casing, and a plate mounted on the door and provided with a beveled lug 39, adapted to enter the opening at the front of the casing and provided with a slot to receive the bolt, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, and a sliding door, of a stop mounted on the car and provided with a projecting lip 35 to engage the door and having a casing at the inner end of the lip, said casing being provided at its front With an opening and having a vertical bolt-opening, a slotted bolt mounted in the bolt-opening of the casing and provided at the lower end of the slot with an enlargement or stop 42, a fastening device mounted on the casing and extending through the slot of the bolt to limit the movement of the same and secure the device to the car, and a slotted lug carried by the door and adapted to enter the opening at the front of the casing and to be engaged by the bolt, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car, and a sliding door, of a stop having a bolt, and a lock member comprising a plate provided at its outer end with a flange 38 arranged on the rear edge of the door and having its terminals bent inward and embedded in the said door, and a lug 5 the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN IVESLEY KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. SToNNEn, SAML. L. TERRY. 

